Friends, neighbors hold vigil for slain store owner

Thursday

Jul 25, 2013 at 12:01 AMJul 25, 2013 at 11:32 PM

Natalie Allison Janicello

GIBSONVILLE — In his few months of being a part of Gibsonville’s community, Paresh Shah was a respected man.

That’s what hundreds of people who gathered for a vigil Thursday evening in the town had to say about the 61-year-old convenience store owner who was shot to death in his business Saturday night during an attempted robbery.

“We want people to know that this isn’t yesterday’s news and everyone hasn’t moved on,” said April Murray, owner of Just Pizza on Main Street in Gibsonville and one of the event’s organizers.

Shah, of Greensboro, purchased Ken’s Quickie Mart at 305 W. Main St. on May 1, his daughter Dharika said.

He was operating his business Saturday when a woman came in around 10:40 p.m. and fatally shot Shah three times. He struggled with her, managed to exit the store and died outside the door.

Community members and fellow business owners — numbering around 300 to 400, police estimated —attended the candlelight vigil at 9 p.m. Thursday. The group began at the town greens and walked in a processional led by Shah’s family members down Main Street to their store.

“We’re here tonight to support this family and their loss,” said Lt. A.J. Inman. “We’re here to bring justice to this family, and we’re going to do that.”

Saturday’s shooting wasn’t Shah’s first encounter with the dangers of operating a convenience store. The Greensboro News & Record reported that according to a High Point police incident report, Shah was cut with a knife a year ago during a robbery at a convenience store he owned on Hickory Chapel Road. Around 7 a.m. July 6, 2012, a man stole cash and lottery tickets from Shah’s store, Triangle Grocery, after cutting Shah with a knife.

Carl Allen, a former member of the Gibsonville Merchants’ Association and one of the event’s organizers, said Gibsonville should have been a place where Shah could run a business in peace.

“We want to say sorry for his family, and that this is not Gibsonville,” Allen said, referring to the shooting. “He came here because he thought he found a nice little town where he could operate his business, but this is a horrible thing to happen in a small town.”

Community members lined up to embrace the Shah family before and after the event, many apologizing for Shah’s tragic death. Joyce Allen held a sign reading “Peace to Shah family — we want our safe Gibsonville back.”

His family carried a portrait of Shah during the walk, leaving it in front of the store, which will open again for business today at 7 a.m.

Shah’s son, Nimit, has worked at the store and will continue to operate it.

“We are very thankful for the support,” said Shah’s daughter, Dharika. “It means a lot to know we have support and we are not alone in this.”

With tears in their eyes, Shah’s wife and sister echoed Dharika, simply saying “thank you” to the crowd gathered.

Bill Zima, pastor of Friedens Lutheran Church in Gibsonville, said a prayer for Shah’s family and for the community.

Like many gathered at the vigil, LuLu McCraw was one of Shah’s regular customers. She said she went to his convenience store every day, often with her infant daughter in tow, and Shah always seemed happy to see them.

“Every time we came here, he would play with my baby,” McCraw said. “He never had a harsh word to say to nobody.”

Mayor Lenny Williams encouraged those in attendance to stand with the family during their time of grief, and continue to do so in the future.

“Here’s a man who came in to bring business to this town,” he said. “We’re not going to give up. This is not the end tonight. We’re going to keep following this case until it’s resolved.”